Home Office

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 16 January (HL Deb, col 218) that citizens of EU countries who have been resident in the UK since before the UK joined the European Economic Community “can if they want make a free application to the Windrush scheme for documentation to confirm that status”, what are the consequences of those citizens not making such an application, in particular for those who do not have documentary evidence of their status.

baroness williams of trafford: EU citizens who were settled in the UK before 1973 are deemed to have indefinite leave to remain and therefore already have a UK immigration status, which will be unaffected by the UK’s exit from the European Union. EU citizens who already have indefinite leave to remain are not required to apply to either the Windrush Scheme or the EU Settlement Scheme, but they may find it useful to do so to obtain up-to-date evidence of their status free of charge.

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to ensure that members of the Roma community who are citizens of EU countries and living in the UK are able to establish their right to remain in the UK after Brexit.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is putting in place measures to ensure that the settlement scheme is accessible to all prospective applicants.There will be new arrangements to provide both direct support from the Home Office, and indirect support through third parties. The support will include: ‘assisted digital’ support for those that cannot access or aren’t confident with technology; a range of translated content when the scheme opens fully in March; and policy provisions to ensure that the Home Office can consider a wide range of evidence of residence.The Home Office has established a user group of external stakeholders including representation of the Roma community, to ensure the right support arrangements are in place.

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) guidance, and (2) assistance they provide to citizens of EU countries who have been resident in the UK since before the UK joined the European Economic Community, who have indefinite leave to remain but are not in possession of documentary evidence confirming their status; whether such support is being provided by the Windrush Task Force and its Vulnerable Persons Team; and if so, what support they offer.

baroness williams of trafford: EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and society, and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme enables them to do so. The application process is short and user-friendly, and it will be accessible to all prospective applicants.We are working in partnership with vulnerable group representatives, local authorities and other experts to make sure we reach everyone. Since November 2017, we have held monthly meetings with representatives of EU citizens on the design and development of the scheme and communications plans. We have been working closely with these groups to identify the needs of potentially vulnerable applicants including the disabled, elderly and isolated. We are looking for reasons to grant, not for reasons to refuse; and we will have a broad range of support in place. For those who need non-specialist support there is the assisted digital service for technological support, and the Settlement Resolution Centre which will be able to assist with questions relating to the application process.The Home Office will proactively work with applicants to provide further evidence where there is the need to do so. Applicants who claim to have an historical grant of Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE) / Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) that they are unable to provide evidence of and which pre-dates current Home Office records may be able to apply under the Windrush Scheme to have their status checked and documented. Further information can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/undocumented-commonwealth-citizens-resident-in-the-uk.

Immigration: Windrush Generation

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the nationalities of those who have applied for citizenship or to prove their settled status under the Windrush Scheme since 30 May 2018; and of those, how many (1) have had their immigration status confirmed, (2) have been rejected, (3) are subject to an appeal, and (4) are still being considered, broken down by nationality.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Secretary provides the Home Affairs Select Committee with monthly updates on the work of the department in connection with Windrush. This includes information on decisions made by the Taskforce, with a section on the nationalities of those granted documentation. The monthly updates can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/correspondence-on-the-work-of-the-home-office-windrush

Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner

baroness stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the next Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner will be appointed; and what has caused the delay in their appointment.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is committed to appointing a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to carry on this vital work. A recruitment campaign was launched in June 2018 and extended over the summer to allow time to attract the strongest possible field of candidates. The recruitment process is nearing completion and we expect to announce a new appointment shortly.

Department for Education

Arts: Primary Education

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action theyare taking to ensure that every child has access to a broad array of arts experiences at primary school.

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the report by the Fabian Society Primary Colours, published on 11 January.

lord agnew of oulton: The department has noted the Fabian Society Primary Colours report and the concerns it raises about arts education. The department is committed to ensuring that all children have access to a high-quality arts education. All schools have to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, and Ofsted is currently consulting on proposals for a new inspection framework. These proposals have a strong emphasis on schools providing a broad and balanced curriculum for all their pupils. On 11 January 2019, the department announced that a model music curriculum is being developed, overseen by an independent panel of music education experts. This will help teachers plan lessons that deliver a world class music education and reduce their workload.Between 2016-20, the department is providing £300 million for a network of music education hubs. This is part of almost half a billion pounds we are investing in a range of music and cultural programmes between 2016-20, which is more than any other subject, except PE. In 2016-17, the hubs supported 91% of all primary schools and taught 711,241 pupils to play instruments in whole classes.

Children: Day Care

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the costs to local authorities of child care provision; and what assistance they plan to provide to local authorities to help meet such costs.

lord agnew of oulton: We will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support in 2019 to 2020 - a record amount. That will include funding for our free early education entitlements, on which we plan to spend around £3.5 billion this year alone. The early years national funding formula, which we introduced in April 2017 following extensive consultation, allocates our funding to local authorities fairly and transparently. The department allows local authorities to retain some funding to cover administrative costs and statutory duties, so long as the vast majority, 95%, is passed on to providers. The government recognises the need to keep the evidence base on costs up-to-date. We continue to monitor the provider market closely through a range of regular and one-off research projects which provide insight into various aspects of the provider market.

School of Oriental and African Studies: Radicalism

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the report by the Henry Jackson SocietyExtreme Speakers and Events: In the 2017–18 Academic Year, published on 21 January, that SOAS University of London has hosted 70 events that were addressed by extremist speakers; whether they have discussed that report with SOAS; if so, what was the outcome of any such discussions; and what steps they intend to take in response.

viscount younger of leckie: ​There is no place for extremism in our society and extremist views should be exposed and challenged. The Department for Education has not engaged with any institutions, including SOAS University of London, in relation to the Henry Jackson Society report. The government believes that free speech should been encouraged, provided that it is within the law as it encourages debate and understanding. Challenging extremist speakers and events is an important part of tackling extremist narratives. However, this does not mean closing down lawful speech, but rather ensuring the right steps are taken to counter extremist narratives and make sure that those who wish to spread hatred do not go unchallenged. The Prevent duty requires higher education institutions to ensure they have mitigated the risk of extremist speakers spreading harmful narratives before an event can go ahead. ​The Equality and Human Rights Commission is developing new guidance on freedom of speech in higher education, which will be published shortly.

Special Educational Needs: Greater Manchester

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current waiting time for children with special educational needs to have education, health and care plans (1) processed, and (2) implemented, in each of the ten districts of Greater Manchester.

lord agnew of oulton: The information requested is not held centrally.Data is collected by the department on assessments for education, health and care (EHC) plans that are completed within their 20-week target. This is published, at local authority level, in table 8 of the “Statements of special educational needs and EHC plans: England 2018” publication attached and available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statements-of-sen-and-ehc-plans-england-2018.



HL13018_New_EHC_plans_issued_within_20_weeks_by_lo
(Excel SpreadSheet, 79.5 KB)

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Manufacturing Industries: Migrant Workers

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of new workers required to replace workers from other EU countries who may leave themanufacturing sector following the UK's withdrawal from the EU; and what measures they are putting in place to ensure that sufficient numbers are recruited and trained.

lord henley: The Government has not produced specific estimates of the potential impacts of withdrawal from the European Union on the manufacturing workforce. However, it has set out a clear policy that would enable EU nationals currently working in the UK to remain.The Government is committed to working with the manufacturing sector to ensure the workforce is equipped with the skills it will need now and in the future. This includes reforming our technical education system to achieve a world-class status and developing a National Retraining Scheme to support adults to upskill and reskill throughout their career as the economy changes. Our ambitious Industrial Strategy comprises policies to build an economy fit for the future, helping to foster a competitive environment where businesses can have the confidence to invest in UK manufacturing and thrive. We are continuing to work with employers and wider stakeholders on how the apprenticeship levy is spent so that the funding system works effectively and flexibly for industry and supports our commitment to delivering 3 million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020.

Airbus: Location

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Airbus may move their wing-building operations out of the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord henley: Airbus, along with other multinational aerospace companies, have long-term options on where to place future work packages. We therefore continue to work closely with industry, particularly through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, to ensure the UK continues to remain a globally competitive environment for investment in aerospace. The launch of a new Sector Deal for Aerospace on 6 December – with up to £125m additional funding for a Future of Flight Challenge – is the latest example of this work, helping create the right conditions for the continued success of the UK Aerospace industry.

Department for Transport

Great Western Railway Line: Timetables

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as a result of Great Western Railway (GWR) IEP trains running early and having to wait at intermediate stations, they intend to allow alterations to the GWR timetable in May.

baroness sugg: The replacement of Great Western Railway High Speed Trains by new Intercity Express Trains is not yet complete, and a key lesson from the May 2018 timetable issues is not to plan major timetable changes that rely on the completion of major programmes until all the relevant elements which need to be in place have been delivered. Network Rail is responsible for making changes to the timetable and is working with GWR to deliver a new timetable that delivers the journey time and capacity benefits of the Intercity Express Trains in a robust manner as soon as possible.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water Companies: Competition

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to make water market structures within the English retail water market more accessible for smaller business customers.

lord gardiner of kimble: Ofwat, the economic regulator for the water industry, regulates and monitors the operation of the retail business market. They published their first annual report on the market, Open for Business, in July 2018.It identified that small and medium sized business customers are not yet experiencing the same benefits that larger customers receive from the retail market, and raised a number of issues that could be affecting this.These included issues that could potentially hinder retailers engaging with certain customer groups, particularly small businesses, and that could also affect customers’ experience of the market.Ofwat and Market Operator Services Ltd (MOSL), the market operator, have been taking a number of actions to investigate further and address these issues.Ofwat is currently undertaking a further assessment of the market with a view to publishing their second annual report, likely in July.My Department has ongoing discussions with Ofwat and MOSL about these issues and will discuss the outcomes of the second annual report with Ofwat in due course.

Water Companies: Competition

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment OFWAT has made of whether the water market is working effectively for new entrants and small business customers.

lord gardiner of kimble: Ofwat published their first annual report on the market, Open for Business, in July 2018 and are currently undertaking a further assessment of the market with a view to publishing their second annual report, likely in July.The first report highlighted that, overall, market opening has benefited both customers who have switched and those who have not. Ofwat estimate that in the first year customers who switched or did not, but renegotiated services, saved:around £8 million through lower bills;approximately 270 to 540 million litres of water, equivalent to 100 to 200 Olympic sized swimming pools, due to water efficiency measures from switching; andtime from more convenient billing or better customer servicesThe report identified that small and medium sized business customers are not yet experiencing the same benefits that larger customers receive from the retail market, and identified some issues preventing the market reaching its full potential for them and entrants to it. These include:the availability and accuracy of market data; andinteraction between wholesalers and retailers.Ofwat are working with market participants, including the Market Operator (Services Ltd, MOSL), to address these issues.

Water Abstraction

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review the way in which the Environment Agency responds to water abstraction applications, with particular regard to businesses in East Anglia.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Environment Agency has wide ranging duties covering matters it may take into account when it deals with water abstraction licence applications. When making decision on licence applications, the Environment Agency balances the needs of businesses, people and the environment.The legal framework in which the Environment Agency is required to operate means that, where a licence application may affect protected species or habitats, or cause the environment to deteriorate as a result of unacceptable environmental damage, the balance must be weighted in favour of the environment. However, the Environment Agency works with applicants to secure access to water for them on reasonable terms whilst still protecting the environment.Ultimately, applicants can appeal the Environment Agency’s licence application decisions, where applications are refused or licences have been granted subject to conditions. Appeals are normally decided by an Inspector appointed from the Planning Inspectorate.

Waste Management

baroness redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to encourage more consistent waste collection policies across local authorities.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government set out its commitment to accelerating the move to consistency in materials collected for recycling in the 25 Year Environment Plan which was published in January 2018. Our resources and waste strategy ‘Our Waste, Our Resources: A Strategy for England’ was published in December 2018 and contains details on how we plan to do this. Subject to consultation we will legislate to allow Government to specify a core set of materials to be collected by all local authorities and waste operators. We will consult on which materials should comprise this core set, and which collection systems would be most effective at preserving material quality. The Government is committed to making recycling easier for everyone. Consistency in recycling will mean that householders in England will be less confused about what can be recycled and therefore have more confidence in recycling. As a result, both the quality and quantity of recycling will increase.

Plastics: Recycling

baroness redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to (1) encourage the use of recycled and recyclable packaging, and (2) discourage the use plastic packaging that is difficult to recycle.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government has committed in its Resources and Waste Strategy to reform the current packaging producer responsibility system, including measures to incentivise producers to make better, more sustainable decisions at the design stage and point of manufacture. At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced a new tax on plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content. Subject to consultation, this will be introduced in 2022. Together, reform of the packaging producer responsibility system and the new tax on plastic packaging will encourage greater recyclability and increased use of recycled materials.